Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld. : 1907 - 1954), Monday 24 October 1938, page 6


CATERPILLARS

Damage on Darling Downs. BRISBANE, October 22.

Caterpillars are causing heavy dam-age to crops on the Southern Darling Downs. They have held up trains, made black soil roads slippery, and eaten clothes laid out to dry.

One farmer at Willowvale, who lost 110 acres of canary seed, valued at £1000, said the noise of the caterpil-lars feeding on the crop at night was like the ticking of a thousand watches. Laundry spread out to dry at Sal-denvale was eaten in holes. Reports from a number of centres states after the insects have cleaned out the crops they are attacking and eating each other. The areas affected include Tanny-morel, Loch Lomond, Mt. Colliery, Yangan, Emu Vale, Mt. Sturt, Free-stone, Clintonvale, Glengallan and Willowvale. The damage already done is esti-mated at several thousands. Attempts on some properties to poison the pests have failed, and the caterpillars are hatching out in thousands.